Wheeling -For the second consecutive game, the Cardinals flew to an 11-point lead and held on for a 96-83 victory over Concord University, Monday evening. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 11-6 on the season and 8-6 in the WVIAC while the Mountain Lions fell to 5-8 in league play and 8-9 overall.
WJU’s Ben Siefert recorded the game’s first two points and followed with the front half of a two-shot foul when the Mountain Lions rallied for seven consecutive points, capturing an early six point lead, 9-6.
The Cardinals retaliated with an 11-point run which started with a long distance three-ball by Andre Harris. Marquis Moore recorded the next two points, and Harris struck again from downtown. Joe Suchy and Steve Catich each chipped in two points before CU’s Kortea Johnson broke loose for an easy layup, bringing the run to a halt, but the Cardinals were not finished.
Moments later, Suchy connected from deep, and after a Mountain Lion bucket, Siefert’s three-point bomb sparked a second double-digit run. The Cardinals scored 10-straight points for a 28-13 advantage and continued to attack the Mountain Lion defense, building a 23-point difference with 7:09 remaining.
Over the next three minutes, the Cardinals saw their 20-plus lead diminish to just ten points after Concord knocked down four three-pointers in six possessions. Siefert scored five unanswered points with a flick of the wrist and a pair of free throws while the Cardinals maintained a 15-point advantage until the end of the half, taking a 55-40 lead into the locker room.
After the break, Wheeling Jesuit continued to score points in bunches, leading by more than 20 points for the majority of the half and increasing the lead to as many as 28 points.
Concord narrowed the deficit and eventually reduced the lead, 96-78, with 2:00 to play. The Mountain Lions scored the last five points of the half, but the Cardinal lead was too much to overcome.
Five Cardinals reached double figures in points with Catich leading the way. The junior from Tyrone, PA recorded a double-double and led the Cardinals in three statistical categories. Catich was 9-of-16 from the floor which included a 2-for-3 showing from beyond the arc along with a flawless 5-for-5 from the free throw line, totaling 25 points. In addition, he pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds and led the Cards with four steals.
Harris followed with 19 points shooting 70 percent (7-for-10) from the field, including a 3-for-6 performance from beyond the arc while knocking down a pair of free throws.
Siefert also recorded a double-double with 17 points and a team-high 11 assists. The sophomore from Reynoldsburg, OH was 5-for-11 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point land, and connected with five free throws on six trips to the foul line.
Suchy and Moore rounded out the double-digit performers with 14 points and 10 points, respectively – Moore added six rebounds and a team-high four rebounds.
The Wheeling Jesuit men’s basketball team will travel to Greensburg, PA for league play against Seton Hill University on Wednesday, February 2nd. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
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